How to achieve top grades with punctuation!
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgrSgktRC1mkV6Dz0XyeiNnzylidRM36TUQ1CkyFrOISIReDhwUgrHem5dcdJ4sKlpHB8N9pOhs1DdLWuExYa_7B5rl3-ABXnpxkUuB6Gw-TDEZ_JBbdGprh5HVZZqZu7P1iqPGJtl7CSDgbfZcgAC7Q8zYZ3aUwRLCgoY46cZo6srhBefIs-0viNh1ID/s320/top%20grades%20PUNCTUATION.jpg)
The current series of posts is looking at how to achieve top grades at GCSE English Language and English Literature. As an English tutor, I'm often approached by parents wanting to help their children improve in English. And improving their writing is often a top priority. But knowing where to start is not always obvious. You can read the previous post, about developing different sentence types, here . I teach my students how to use punctuation effectively, especially colons and semicolons. I have written a short ebook to help anyone looking for self-study guidance, called A Dash of Punctuation . Having taught English in schools for over 30 years, I've learnt that as students move into GCSE study, they usually realise that they have not properly learnt some basic grammatical and punctuation rules. The consequence is that they make mistakes, without understanding why in many cases. The result can be lower grades than expected, and frustration. Colons and semicolons open up